FORT COLLINS, Colo. — FORT COLLINS, Colo. — One Fort Collins church says this plan has been years in making and now it’s picking up steam. Heart of the Rockies Church (Disciples of Christ) in Fort Collins is working with non-profits in the area to transform nine acres of their land for affordable housing.
"We feel that by developing this property into some useful purpose for the community, we’ll be serving God in the best way that our congregation can," said Sue Anderson, who lives in the neighborhood and is a part of the congregation.
The church sits on about 11 acres of land. Two acres were developed by the church in 1999 and 2000.
The remaining nine acres will be used for build affordable housing to build 72 apartment units, 10 housing units, and two homes.
"It doesn’t mean that we’re going to pack in buildings on every square inch. Our proposal is within the existing zoning for this space, it still allows for some green space, for a community center, for the expansion of our community garden and so we really do envision a holistic, thriving community," said Melissa St. Clair, senior minister at Heart of the Rockies Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
Sue Anderson has called this Fort Collins neighborhood home for more than 30 years.
"We raised our children here, we lived here for most of our adult lives and so it’s a very important community to us," Anderson said.
She’s starting to reach out to her neighbors for feedback on the project.
"We want it to be an asset to our community, to our neighborhood," Anderson said.
At the root of their faith is loving God and helping others.
They see this project, still three to five years until completion, as a way of giving back to the community they’ve been in for years.
"It’s not just about housing, it’s about people living whole and healthy lives," St. Clair said.